"One thing becomes clearer as one gets older and one’s fishing experience increases, and that is the paramount importance of one’s fishing companions." - John Ashley Cooper

Vatnsdalsa Map

Vatnsdalsá River is about 40 kilometers (24.8 miles) from the sea. It's split up in three main beats, which provide around 20km of salmon fishing. Approximately 50% of all caught fish weighs-in in excess of 10lbs, having spent two or more years in the ocean before returning to the river. Every year, our anglers catch salmon in the 22lbs-25lbsweight range.

The Book

Top Pools

Top Lures

The Vatnsdalsá River is one of the most renowned salmon rivers in Iceland, and famous for the size of its salmon. The main sources of the large catchment area are the pristine and unpolluted heaths on the Southern side of Vatnsdalur Valley: Audkúla and Grímstunga. Vatnsdalur Valley is, without a doubt, one of the most picturesque valleys in the North-West of Iceland. At one end of the Vatndalsá River, approximately 40 kilometers (24.8 miles) from the sea, you have the majestic waterfall of Dalsfoss. Along the river there are also two lakes, Húnavatn and Flódid, but neither of those lakes contain any salmon. The middle beat of the river, approximately 12km in length, is prime arctic-char water, but also includes brown trout, sea trout, and salmon. There are three main salmon-beats in the Vatnsdalsá River, each one approximately 20km in length and within the three there are more than four-dozen separate pools.

Approximately 50% of all caught fish weighs-in in excess of 10lbs, having spent two or more years in the ocean before returning to the river. Every year, our anglers catch salmon in the 22lbs-25lbsweight range. In 1997, Vatnsdalsá River implemented a strict ‘catch and release’ policy for all the salmon-beats, and only flyfishing is allowed.